Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Consider what Levin reads from Alexis de Tocqueville on what sort of despotism democratic nations have to fear...

Then understand that despite who wins any election, the need for restraint on Capitol Hill is still a necessity that continues to require an Article V Convention of the States to more permanently correct course...

The loyalists might be able to shrug it off, but there are genuine concerns as to how a Trump administration is supposed to "drain the swamp" when the very establishment that the Republican electorate opposed by electing the outsider is then reinstalled by the president-elect...

News came Tuesday that Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, will be named Secretary of Transportation in the Trump administration. Additionally, McConnell is pushing for Sen. Bob Corker to be secretary of state.

“It’s quite obvious that Trump and the Republican Establishment are now partners,” Levin said. They are now “a complete unit.”

In addition to members of the Republican Establishment joining the Cabinet, liberal Democrats are being eyed for the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury.

“This is not Trump draining the swamp,” Levin said. “This is the swamp draining Trump.”

Conservatives need to be more vigilant than ever.

More from Levin on the re-instituted swamp...

On Tuesday’s Mark Levin show, When it comes to Donald Trump’s cabinet, it’s make the Establishment and Goldman Sachs great again. With the nomination of Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, for Secretary of Transportation and Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs employee, for Treasury Secretary, it’s quite obvious that President-elect Trump and the Republican Establishment are now partners. This is not Trump draining the swamp, this is the swamp draining Trump. Conservatives need to be more vigilant than ever. Has anyone seen any Sen Ted Cruz supporters nominated for cabinet positions? Trump hasn’t had a good appointment since Mike Flynn, Jeff Sessions, and Mike Pompeo. At the end of the day personnel is policy. Without principled and loyal cabinet secretaries the Trump administration is putting itself in a failing position.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

If there is to be a coalescence of Republicans with constitutionalists, conservatives, independents and the working class of America who just elected Donald J. Trump in a complete repudiation of the Obama/Clinton degradation of America, then the powers that be must be on board with Trump's impressive action plan just as vigorously as he pursued this office...and his resilience to make it happen must be as unrelentingly vigilant!

No doubt, it'll be tough. There'll even be some current Republicans standing in the way alongside their Democratic counterparts. But any effort less to accomplish the brunt of this work would frankly be all for naught, particularly when a Republican president has the resources of both Republican-majority houses of Congress at his side (and a SCOTUS appointee to boot!). We've essentially been granted a second chance, a reset to 2000 if you will. Let's not squander it again. And though I may have some differences of opinion with a few of these measures (primarily talk of tariffs), the majority of these proposed acts MUST PASS in the first 100 days to make good on the new president's promises:

And a word about unity. This is something that not only needs to be discussed, but more importantly accomplished. We should be a united people, but in a united cause. And there lies the departure in much of the Left. See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and elsewhere to witness much of the rejection of unity. Whether an honest discussion or just shy of it (the latter of which would appear to be the case in Obama's coaxing call for a faux unity below),NONE OF THAT need include 'working' with the first Marxist president, nor 'seeking his counsel'...?!

I know this is the introductions-and-handshakes formalities of the post-election cycle where everyone plays nice, but the former documentation is what those who elected the 45th president want to see...not the latter. It's true.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

I think Erick Erickson has exquisitely stated it (so definitely read the whole piece!)...time to eat crow, swallow pride, and reset. God's Will has been dealt, so let's see what He has in store for all of us with a Trump/Pence presidency...

Donald Trump outperformed every public opinion poll. He beat the odds and ran the table and he will be the President of the United States.

This morning I am like a broken record admitting in every post how much I got wrong. As I should because I did. And now I hope I am wrong about Donald Trump. He has the opportunity to unite people in ways no one thought possible, but that the results suggest he alone might be able to do.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence and their families should be in our prayers. They now have a heavy burden on them and the weight of a nation in turmoil pressing down on them.

God always has a plan and I put my trust in Him, not men. But Donald Trump and Mike Pence are now explicit parts of God’s plans and I pray for them and wish them well.

And seeing as it's technically morning (although I'm about to finally go to sleep!), I find it fitting to end this post with a common prayer for both our outgoing president and our incoming president-elect, as well as all in civil authority. Lord knows we all need more of it...

O LORD our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and to all in Authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

ADDENDUM: Glenn Beck also extended an olive branch to the president-elect, pledging to "support" him in the days to come. He urged his listeners to be graceful because the U.S. cannot afford another “failed presidency.”...

“I am reaching out today. I will call him today. ... Anyone who says they want to be the president of all people — I’m there. This is the very first time he has said that. He has said before he doesn’t need us, doesn’t need our audience, or whatever, and that’s campaign. He’s now the president. So whatever we can do to help him, as long as we’re staying constitutional, we’re there.”

I, among many, was prepared for this to go her way...but was not expecting this at all. The Twitterverse is already calling it: Trump has won the presidency. Beyond the hillar-it-y of the lib media's dumbfoundedness, I can't help but feel like the clueless sports fan! As my brother-in-law perfectly stated tonight, "All I can tell is that I am very out of sync with the majority." That goes either way, either party, either outcome that could've been. One thing that's obvious: This is an absolute repudiation of D.C. I can't disagree with that sentiment. There's multitudes of other pervading thoughts running through my mind, but right now...just WOW.Related link:Donald Trump on course for US election victory after winning Florida in 'America's Brexit'

Today’s election will have significant consequences. From the White House to Congress, SCOTUS ramifications and on down the ballot. Our nation is electing leaders and we’ll live with those decisions, as well as their repercussions, for some years. As a political consultant, coach and activist, I work hard to influence those outcomes and understand well the cost of poor leadership. But as a Christian, I understand a greater truth.

Every election day (and on a near daily basis through this election cycle), I open my Bible to Psalm 146 and remind myself where my trust resides. It’s not in Presidents, Congress or the Supreme Court. No elected or appointed man, woman or assembly is imbued with my faith. Not any candidate I’ve worked for, or the guy we worked hard to beat. My trust is in higher things.

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, o my soul. 2 While I live I will praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. 3. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goes forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: 7 Which executeth judgement for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: 8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous: 9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked is turned upside down. 10 The Lord shall reign for ever, even they God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 146 KJV)

... Whomever is elected tonight, our duty continues tomorrow. We are called to glorify God and enjoy Him forever…not just when our guy gets elected, tax rates are low or the economy is growing.

We’re charged in 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” It’s a pre-requisite to this passage that we live our lives in such a way that people will ASK why we have hope!

Whatever happens tonight, get up tomorrow with even greater focus on shining God’s light in the world around you than you have today. Work harder to positively influence the people and nation around you. Let’s live our lives in such a way that people are compelled to ask where our hope comes from.

I will sleep well because the ends do not justify the means. The means are everything.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
~ Micah 6:8

I will sleep well because I am not responsible for the outcome, only my own actions.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

I will sleep well because I did not join in the glorying of sin, but I helped expose the corruption.

I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” ~ 1 Corinthians 5:9-12

I will sleep well because I accept the authority of God and the authority of government.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. ~ Romans 13:1-3

I will sleep well because I know these words are true.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ~ John 14:6

We are here for a purpose much greater than voting for a candidate, or advocating for this law or that law. The exactness, utter accuracy, inerrancy and nature of the universe that produced us did not place us here by chance.

The three billion base pairs of DNA-encoded information which contain our design, plans and operating software were not produced by some counter-entropic emergent complex system any more than a table set with candles, tablecloth and wine appearing on Mars would be explained as pure accident.No matter whose name comes out on top of today’s election, knowing that I have a purpose, a maker, and a clear measure of my duty to love and share truth with my fellow humans is a good reason for me (and you) to sleep very, very well.

Monday, November 7, 2016

We can look at the demographics and speculate about the math, but the clearer path to Hillary's predicted victory will be due to the Democratic propaganda machine known as the liberal media, and its unquestionable duping of Republican voters (inclusive of duping themselves!). In the end, they gave Clinton what she wanted...

There are going to be, for a very long time, a lot of Trump supporters who simply refuse to accept that they were conned. They will blame me. They will blame others. They will never accept responsibility for an easily predictable defeat — a defeat in large part merely by Trump’s own words used against him.

The media too will never really be honest. The media will talk about Republican detachment. They will talk about Republican civil wars. The media will also, moving forward, spend a lot of time hanging Trump around the necks of Republicans like a millstone. What the media will never confess to or own up to acknowledge is the role the media played in giving Hillary Clinton exactly what she wanted.

Many Trump voters sided with Trump because they thought the establishment had hand picked sure fire losers like McCain and Romney. They wanted to pick this time. But subtly and effectively, the media chose for them. Donald Trump’s plane landings were treated by CNN as if they were Air Force One landings. Trump was allowed phone call visits on shows across America where other candidates were expected to be in studio.

During the course of the primaries, Trump benefited from vastly more free air time than any other Republican. What made it so astounding was how uncritically the coverage of Trump was. Where other candidates had rallies and speeches cut short, Trump’s ran in their entirety. Where others candidates were fact checked and rebutted, Trump was given a pass.

Trump had the advantage of being a familiar New Yorker who had spent years cultivating relationships with members of the media and used those relationships.

And now we know Hillary Clinton wanted Trump all along. Based now on interviews and Wikileaks documents, we know that the Clinton campaign engaged in a concerted effort to help shape a media narrative favorable toward Trump.

The media will rebut these claims with highlights of their general election footage wherein they brought to light all the Trump nonsense that destroyed his campaign. But they can show few examples in the primaries when Trump was treated as a ratings bonanza so long as he was not attacked.

Media ratings mattered in the rise of Trump. Trump’s voters, so convinced the establishment was going to pick a Jeb Bush or another Mitt Romney, let the media guide them toward Trump. In the end, it is the Trump voters who chose him and gave us a Clinton victory. But I have a hard time believing many of these voters would have stuck with Trump had the media treated Trump the way they treated any of the other Republican Presidential candidates.

There's no told-you-so pleasure out of this. I don't like it anymore than the next, but that's the reality of choosing bad to defeat worse when good would've fared far better, regardless of what one will or won't admit. It's unfortunate in so many ways.

Friday, October 28, 2016

“Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.” ~ Winston Churchill

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~ John Quincy Adams

I won't waste time attempting to understand or explain how utterly bizarre and volatile this presidential election cycle has been. You've experienced it right alongside the rest of us. Perhaps it's even more baffling when you're a Christian voter trying to maintain some semblance of Biblical aspiration in principle and conscience with your decision. We're told you have to choose the 'lesser of two evils,' or fret over who the next SCOTUS justice will be. But how does either candidate represent your values? How does the realization of God always being in control no matter what happens actually factor into the equation? And what if it's possible that God has a greater plan for believers? This preponderance of conscience may lead you to a more acceptable place in the lead-up to November 8th, as one organization has come to see it (H/t: TheResurgent)...

By: Paul Hastings

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I were reflecting on the sad state of this year’s presidential election. Leader after leader in the Christian community had come out in support of Trump, a candidate that is so hostile to so much of God’s teaching. Yet here were the Christian leaders that we admired telling us the very opposite of what they had preached for so long; that values no longer mattered.

It was incredibly disheartening to hear many of my Christian friends begin repeating what these leaders were saying. That we needed to support Trump because he was the only hope we have to stop Hillary.

But we knew there are many Christians still on the fence. They’re asking themselves, should they vote for Trump? So we made this video to tell them what we believed. That perhaps God has a greater calling on Believers than choosing the “lesser” of two evils. A calling to holiness.

Just as there were far too many crowding the Republican field during the primary season, so too are there an overwhelming abundance of write-in candidates, several seeking a Higher Calling in this high office, however. There's a promising alternative in Constitution Party candidate Darrell Castle, as well as lesser known America's Party candidate Tom Hoefling who nonetheless seeks to save the American Republic. Yet, there seems to be a more charismatic gentleman who has risen to the top of the website's own pollingand has caught the attention of top Christian conservative pundits who've never signed on to the binaryism of this election (H/t: TheTelegraph)...

By: Erick Erickson

The reality is that the election is over and has been since the moment Donald Trump got the Republican nomination. No nominee has ever left the conclusion of the convention season with a polling deficit and rebounded. No nominee has entered the last month of the election behind seven points and rebounded. ...

The election is over for president. The Senate and House of Representatives can be saved if Republicans still turn out. But if the election were held today, Hillary Clinton would already have the requisite 270 Electoral College votes to be president, and that is with 10 states still in toss up territory... Trump is that bad of a nominee. Clinton has a better chance of winning Texas now than Trump has of winning Pennsylvania.

That leads me to Evan McMullin. McMullin is currently in first place in Utah. He is an independent Republican running for president and may be the first non-major party candidate to win Electoral College votes since 1968. He is a conservative. He, like Trump, went to Wharton Business School. Unlike Trump, McMullin grew up in a home that often could not be heated in the winter due to lack of money.

McMullin served his country in the clandestine unit of the CIA. He was a spy in Iran and Afghanistan who helped undermine the bad guys. He is a man of character who Republicans can proudly support instead of holding their nose for a man like Donald Trump. There is also a bigger issue Republicans and, in particular, Christians need to consider.

According to the latest polling, 70 percent of evangelicals are willing to accept immoral acts in their political nominees. That is more than the nation as a whole and is 40 percent higher for evangelicals compared with just two years ago. The Age of Trump has led many evangelicals off the cliff of moral relativism. Suddenly, grabbing women by their genitals is fine if you think your candidate will advance the kingdom.

The reality is that Republicans and Christians in America will never get a candidate better than Trump if they settle for Trump now. Affirming Trump will just embolden even greater moral cretins to run for office and will send a strong signal to good men and women that they need not bother.

McMullin is an antidote to this. He is a write-in candidate... If you write-in Evan McMullin on the ballot, your vote will count for him. He is not the lesser of any evil, but an alternative to voting for evil. Writing in Evan McMullin will send a clear message that we are not going to settle again for men like Donald Trump. The Republican Party needs to know that nominating men of low character is unacceptable.

Could such a candidacy factor into God's broader plan for America and His people? Only the Almighty knows. But I know I'm not the only one with a sense that this time, this moment, might be our last shot before oblivion with either major party candidate. Whether it is or isn't, a couple of things are now clear: 1.) Providence always provides a principled option, and 2.) our Maker's judgment will come to fruition soon enough. Will we accept either? We still have a voice in the prior...we're stuck with the latter.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

John Ziegler has been one of the few conservatives (alongside Beck, Erickson, Howe and a handful of others) who haven't utterly succumbed to the pervading fissure of fall-in-line peer pressure throughout what used to be a somewhat solid (and growing) venue of free-thinking conservative media outlets, which now seems to be evaporating over the brevity of a meer year (i.e., since the rise of Trump).

I don't know that anyone is still even considering reason anymore, much less listening, or have just submitted to binaryism at this point in the current disdainful cycle. But for those still opened, I happened upon this yesterday.

Here's John Ziegler on Glenn Beck's Tuesday program. Let me just say it's difficult not to use the "my sentiments exactly" colloquialism...

A final word: Vote your conscience wherever that may lead in this presidential election, but remember the down ballot! There lies the mechanism of restraint if those elected exercise the will to do so (I know...we haven't seen THAT in such a long time).